Medication Synchronization Programs Increase Adherence

Published Online: Friday, February 14, 2014

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Patients taking part in medication synchronization programs offered through community pharmacies were much more likely to be adherent to their medications, according to the results of a study conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and its technology partner Ateb.

The study included more than 1300 patients enrolled in programs at 10 independent community pharmacies across the country. Participating pharmacies coordinated patients’ chronic prescription medications so they were filled on the same date each month. In addition, patients in the medication synchronization arm received a monthly call from their pharmacy to discuss their medications and dosing instructions, to check whether their medication therapy had changed, and to confirm that the patient needed a medication before it was dispensed.

The results indicated that patients enrolled in the synchronization programs were on their medication therapy an average of 337 days per year compared with 234 days for patients not in the programs. Of patients in the synchronization programs, 89.2% were considered adherent compared with 56.7% of patients not in the programs.

“This study confirms that a personalized medication synchronization service delivered by community pharmacies is impactful, scalable, and able to be replicated in any community pharmacy,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, in a press release.